Paul Hendrickson displays the anti-swastika patch which led to his suspension from Kingswood Regional High School.
Posted on 04/12/2005 1:26:46 PM PDT by Calpernia
WOLFEBORO — A 17-year-old New Durham junior refuses to let an indefinite suspension from high school prohibit him from expressing himself.
Paul Hendrickson, of Old Bay Road, received the punishment two weeks ago for wearing an arm patch with a crossed-out swastika to Kingswood Regional High School. The teen said Thursday he wasn’t trying to make a stance against any group, especially his school, but he was not willing to surrender his freedom of expression or speech.
He said he first wore the patch to school on March 28 without incident to make a statement against intolerance, but school officials asked him to remove it the next day after receiving a complaint.
On March 29, Hendrickson said he politely declined and was suspended — a punishment which could be lifted if he removed the patch.
“My message of tolerance means a lot to me,” Hendrickson said, adding he’s willing to spend as much time out of school as it takes.
Superintendent John Robertson did not specifically identify Hendrickson because of privacy issues, but said on Monday the arm patch issue has not yet been resolved. He hopes it will be soon.
Without identifying Hendrickson, Robertson said Thursday a student was suspended when he failed to remove the patch to prevent tensions from building among other students.
“Anytime you have to restrict free speech is a difficult issue,” Robertson said, adding he could not comment about the details because of privacy concerns.
“The free-flow of expression is allowed in school,” Robertson said Monday, adding the situation was a conflict between student safety and a student’s freedom of speech.
“The school can’t back off on a known safety issue,” Robertson said, adding that allowing potential issues to build would be negligent.
Hendrickson said, “I’m not trying to force my beliefs on anyone else.”
He added the single complaint arose when a fellow student saw him at a distance and believed he was wearing a swastika.
Hendrickson said the girl changed her mind after seeing that it was an “anti-swastika.”
He added he’s received a significant amount of support from other students, who have erected posters and written letters saying so.
“My fellow students do care, but they aren’t offended — they’re 100 percent behind me,” Hendrickson said, adding people would be more offended if he chose to wear a swastika to make a point.
Hendrickson said the school offered several alternative methods for him to express his views, but he feels removing the patch would violate his rights.
Robertson said, “the message here of tolerance is the right one — we support it.”
“Our issue is to prevent the issues of tension and violence,” Robertson said, referencing the incident at Columbine High School in 1999, where two students killed 12 others before committing suicide.
Robertson said the school district’s first priority is for the safety of all students so they can be educated without inappropriate distractions. The high school is part of the Governor Wentworth Regional School District, which serves Brookfield, Effingham, New Durham, Ossipee, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro.
“This has been an ongoing incident for the past week,” District School Board Chairman John Widmer said last week.
Widmer noted it began as a “no tolerance” issue, but has become a “First Amendment” issue.
“It’s a tough issue,” Robertson said, adding he encourages the student to return to school without the patch, even if he wants to pursue the issue of wearing the patch through the courts or other methods.
“The First Amendment was designed to allow the free expression of our beliefs, not as an excuse to incite others. Using tolerance to build a safe school environment means bringing everyone into the fold. Targeting or alienating specific groups only adds to the tension. Parents have entrusted the school to take care of their children and the administration is serious about its important role,” according to a statement released by the school district.
The district also released information referencing three U.S. Supreme Court cases dealing with the conflict between student expression and school policies.
In 1969, the Supreme Court upheld students’ freedom of speech in Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District as long as that freedom does not disrupt classes or infringe on other people’s rights. The issue arose when three students wore black armbands to school in 1965 to protest the Vietnam War.
Robertson said Tinker was a different issue since the school was trying to suppress the message of their students. He added black arm bands are not obnoxious in themselves.
In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a school district’s policy prohibiting obscenities in Bethel School District No. 403 vs. Fraser after a student used sexual innuendoes in a speech nominating another student for an election.
In 1988, the Supreme Court again upheld a school’s editorial control of school-sponsored newspapers in Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier. Two students sued the school district after their principal held two articles — about teenage pregnancy and the effects of divorce on students — from being published in the high school newspaper.
That is so cliche, but the administration was so stupid in trying to punish him for it.
Nice hair.
This kid would be the first to demand suppression of something that "offended" someone.
Don't know why Prince Harry didn't think of this instead.....
In this case, the student is right and the School Nazis...I mean, school adminstrators..are wrong.
Kids these days...
are not punks!
*sigh*
BTW, wasn't Calpernia Julius Ceasar's wife....or at least one of them? It's been many a year since I've read JC....etu, Cal?
While I agree with his anti nazi stance, isn't that an anarchist symbol on his shirt?
Someone needs to tell this kid that WWII ended in 1945, and that we won. The point is moot.
And just where are all the Nazis? I get the distinct impression that this kid probably considers President Bush a Nazi.
Kid, just take off the patch, go back to school, and stop being an idiot.
Methinks not.
School uniforms. Get them. Wear them.
Yes. My FR Nic is after Calpurnia from Ceasar.
:)
bump!
That was more along the lines of my thoughts. Attention getting and no school.
LOL! bump
I believe she was his first wife, whom he dumped because "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.